Oh, the burden of metaphors!

In the comments after the Salt of the Earth post, it was noted that metaphors get mixed and scrambled and that can often irritate. I decided to write the definitive life-changing explanations and wrote the following, or most of it, but just couldn’t get it finished. I could never quite explain Lot's wife turning into salt. I felt like a mountain trout trying to swallow a whale–just couldn’t get my teeth into it. But I’ve decided to stop with the whale and be happy nibbling on a goldfish. The goldfish too bland, I moved on to saltier fare. I hunted among the oysters for a pearl, but only came up with grains of sand. Enough of that Shakespearian type musing; here are my Sherlock Holmes deductions and conclusions:

After my extensive research--Not!--I find the references to salt in the OT indicate its significance in early Judaism as a symbol of endurance and worth. (Kittel, and others).

I think the interesting application of that principle comes from Numbers 18:19 where it seems to be an ingredient of an "everlasting covenant of salt" (this wording coming in a discussion of sacrifices).

In Mark 9, reading the verses beginning about 35 through 50, I wouldn't be wrong to suggest that the discussion involves doing good work, refraining from sin and avoiding the fires of hell. In the proper context, these verses are emphasizing to the disciples in importance of their constant participation in the kingdom of God, which cannot be separated from the person of Jesus and the exercise of faith. A few verses earlier in Chapter 9, and elsewhere, Jesus has clearly warned His disciples of His own death and that persecution awaits the disciples who follow Him. Testing, tribulation, persecution, floggings, even burning at the stake and death await those followers listening to Him. His teaching culminates in the verse: "Everyone will be salted with fire." Here we have something of a metaphor within a metaphor–maybe? Salt purifies and certainly fire melted the ore and impurity was burned or strained away leaving the ore pure.

Before moving on you should know that the "Everyone....salted...fire" language is textually disputed by many scholars. The NIV (printed bold above) is the most accepted, probably supported by the better manuscripts. It is interesting to see that other lines of ancient manuscripts read: "...for (or and) every sacrifice will be salted with salt." You might logically ask, "But the New Testament disciples will not be offering sacrifices with salt for burning. That’s OT stuff!" The association of salt with the sacrifices is indeed strong and inseparable, yet we must read Romans 12:1 to see it all make sense. "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—which is your spiritual worship."

All of these good works, persecutions and tribulations are our NT sacrifices done in the care and strength of the New Covenant, a covenant where salt has relevance in worship. We need to go and do and live with strength, endurance and worthiness, i.e., as salt that never loses its savor. Luke 14:33-35 very well confirms the preceding statement with this: "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple. Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?...." Give up everything? That is part of being Biblical salt? Possibly–if we were to love everything more than Christ. We’ve been taught that if your eye causes you to sin you should pluck it out rather than continue and miss out on the Kingdom of God. No one, except a Muslim maybe, would blame the eye or hand for our sin. Jesus objected to such external religion ways of thinking. He isn’t teaching mutilation. He teaches that nothing should be so important to us as to cause us to breach our Covenant of Salt, lose our saltiness and fall short of eternity with Him.

Perhaps Colossians 4:2-6 might help us grasp the meaning of salt. Paul wanted the readers to be devoted to prayer. He wanted prayers for himself so he could proclaim the Gospel clearly. Then abruptly he switches back while in this paragraph expressing concerns to proclaim the Word clearly, saying to the reader: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

It seems to me that most every supposedly learned commentary expounds upon "seasoned with salt" as if the first phrase "full of grace" had not been given, i.e., they explain that seasoned with salt sort of means our speech should be full of grace. Maybe someone has a better commentary, but in its absence I will boldly suggest that Paul wasn’t stupid and that he knew seasoned with salt meant something. I think of Francis of Assisi who is reported to have said something like, "Preach constantly; if necessary use words." So I dare to suggest that even without the Word mentioned specifically, principles of the Word may be presented, e.g., encouragement, comfort, calmness, goodness and mercy, forgiveness. Such words, together perhaps with Christian conduct such as hospitality or physically helping another in need, may render an otherwise simple "God bless you" to be a powerful sermon, salt to the other on his journey toward responding to God’s calling to repentance and salvation.

I’ll close with these further thoughts concerning "Covenant of Salt." Salt was often used among the Oriental peoples for ratifying agreements. Through absorbing the meaning and adopting the practice over time, salt became for the chosen people, too, the teaching symbol of fidelity and constancy. In Leviticus, Numbers and 2 Chronicles we see the use of salt as a preservative in the world and typifying the eternal nature of contractual benefits and responsibilities inherent in the Covenant of Salt between God and His Chosen.

Hang the metaphors! We are salt of the earth! You know what it means, so get out there and make the world around you better. Full speed ahead!